


we could be immortals

by yubiniverse



Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angels, Angst, Canon Universe, Childhood Trauma, Demons, Eventual Fluff, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Polyamory, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, Vampires, Werewolf-Vampire Hybrids, Werewolves, bora is singjiyoo's baby, bora needs a hug, bora's dad is a dick, everyone is secretly soft, minji is stressed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:20:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21884404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yubiniverse/pseuds/yubiniverse
Summary: In a world where mythical creatures live alongside humans, entertainment companies have begun seeking out supernatural beings for their ageless beauty and superhuman qualities, believed to be the perfect recipe for more successful, longer lasting idol groups. Humans aren't excluded from becoming idols, but are far less common than their more able-bodied, near-immortal counterparts.The idol world is a dangerous one. Minji is dedicated to making sure that her members feel safe and welcomed in Dreamcatcher, despite their vastly different heritages. The vampire is extremely overprotective of the other six girls, and would do anything to keep them safe - though, as Minji is about to find out, that is much easier said than done.
Relationships: Han Dong | Handong/Lee Gahyeon, Han Dong | Handong/Lee Gahyeon/Lee Yoobin | Dami, Han Dong | Handong/Lee Yoobin | Dami, Kim Bora | SuA/Kim Minji | JiU, Kim Bora | SuA/Kim Yoohyeon, Kim Bora | SuA/Lee Siyeon, Kim Minji | JiU/Kim Yoohyeon, Kim Minji | JiU/Lee Siyeon, Kim Yoohyeon/Lee Siyeon, Lee Gahyeon/Lee Yoobin | Dami, Lee Siyeon/Kim Minji | JiU/Kim Bora | SuA/Kim Yoohyeon, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 132





	1. whispered truths

**Author's Note:**

> hi y'all! though i've written a lot of dreamcatcher stuff in the past, this is my first time publishing any of it, so i hope you guys enjoy! being that this is a supernatural canon au, all members of dc are mythical beings, so to avoid having you guess who is what, this is what i have decided for each of the members;
> 
> minji: vampire  
> bora: vampire/werewolf hybrid (stronger vampire qualities)  
> siyeon: werewolf  
> handong: huli jing (chinese fox spirit)  
> yoohyeon: vampire/werewolf hybrid (stronger werewolf qualities)  
> yubin: demon  
> gahyeon: nephilim (half human, half angel)
> 
> i have a lot of hopes for this story, so i hope everyone is along for the ride! as always, feedback is greatly appreciated in any capacity, it lets me improve my writing for you all. but most importantly, i hope you guys enjoy the story!
> 
> \- luo

_ "Hey, unnie, it's time to wake up!" _

Minji glared down at Siyeon from her bunk bed, fighting off the urge to strangle the werewolf where she stood. Their other roommate, Yubin, was nowhere to be found, the demon likely having suffered a similar rude awakening from the vocalist. Squinting at her phone, the vampire discerned that it was barely 6am - much too early for any sane person to be awake, Minji insisted.

_Here we are, years later, and the rooming situation still leaves much to be desired,_ the vampire thought to herself with a deep-set scowl on her face. _Seriously, who decided that rooming a vampire and a werewolf together would be a good idea?_

After much deliberation, Minji came to terms with the fact that Siyeon would not be letting her go back to sleep anytime soon. Thus, she reluctantly dragged herself out of bed to face the day.

* * *

It almost felt unreal, being back in South Korea. After the whirlwind of touring in Europe, between meeting the international fans and just having fun being themselves in foreign countries, it was almost like Minji had forgotten the work aspect of their job as an idol. So when they had gotten home, it almost felt like the momentum that had kept them going during their concerts had suddenly ground to a halt by the time she and the girls had gotten to the company building the next morning. Minji herself had felt so energized by the overwhelming support from European InSomnia during their tour (both human and otherwise), but now she wondered what had sapped away that energy so suddenly.

_ (Actually, she knew a large part of that was because of killer jetlag, but Minji wasn’t willing to accept that as an excuse. She’s a vampire, after all.) _

Looking around, she could tell her members were varying degrees of exhausted from yesterday’s flight; Siyeon and Handong seemed to be the only ones awake enough to really digest the manager’s words to the group as he handed out individual schedules to everyone.

“You girls must still be tired from yesterday’s flight,” the manager began after observing the group of idols, “so today’s schedules aren’t terribly busy, but the company still expects you to do your very best. That new album won’t write itself, after all.”

“Understood, we will not disappoint you.” Minji asserted in a professional tone, herding the other members into the hallway and eventually ducking out of his eyesight. Their manager was a warm, kindhearted person - one of the most down-to-earth angels she'd ever met, in fact - but as leader, she recognized that their relationship was to be considered shallow at best. She noted that Yubin and Yoohyeon were in desperate need of caffeine, but that was more or less routine now. Minji’s eyes softened while observing the rest of the members, but her usually friendly countenance contorted in a frown upon making it to Bora. She seemed rather pensive and withdrawn today, which was a far cry from her usual mannerisms, although everyone had more or less accepted that the hybrid would never be a morning person, despite her partially lupine parentage. Still, something felt off about the way the shorter woman was carrying herself recently, and if she didn’t know any better, Minji would have thought her to be sick. 

_ Was her skin always so pale? _

All concerns aside, Minji knew observations alone weren’t enough to go on, so she just decided to leave the other idol alone for the time being. Gently humming Ailee’s U&I to herself, Minji led the girls to one of the company practice rooms as she placed orders for coffee on her phone.

Despite the overall atmosphere of normalcy, though, the vampire could discern an internal sense of unease, and the impending feeling of dread did little to lift her mood.

~

Minji was a woman of her word, so it really came as no surprise that she and the rest of Dreamcatcher had doubled down on their work regarding their next album. Yubin had more or less locked herself up in the recording studio, citing that she didn’t want to be distracted when working on song lyrics, but that was part of their work routine by this point. What surprised Minji was that even _Yoohyeon_ had adopted a similar work ethic, and the results definitely showed in practice. She loved the younger girl to death, but the lanky hybrid was known to be rather selective of how she spent her energy - definitely not what you would call “all work and no play”, by any means.

That wasn’t to say that the other members were slackers either; in fact, the vampire always viewed Bora as the most dedicated member to their craft, and it wasn’t hard to see why. The shorter woman had trained the longest out of any of them, and not only did Bora seek to improve herself, she always made herself useful to the other girls as well. It didn’t matter if it was staying long past their scheduled practice times to help the younger members with their choreography, or even taking care of more mundane tasks around the dorm, like cooking or cleaning; Bora would do her absolute best to make their lives easier. Minji appreciated the help, _truly_ , but she didn’t want the younger woman to run herself into the ground with her workaholic nature.

Speaking of Bora, the hybrid usually showcased an oddly energetic side of herself while preparing for comebacks, but Minji all too easily found that the shorter idol seemed uncharacteristically lethargic since they had gotten back from Europe almost a month ago. Sunny had tasked the dancer with choreographing You and I, a challenge that Bora took to immediately, considering her passion for dancing. However, it didn’t take long for everyone to notice the beginning signs of overworking. Much to Minji’s dismay, Bora didn’t look any healthier than she did when they came back from touring; in fact, she seemed to grow paler and paler by the day.

But still, all Minji could do was watch, finding herself unable to confront the younger idol. The vampire could feel her (unbeating) heart clench, and her chest churned with emotions she couldn't quite name.

It made Minji feel weak, and she absolutely hated it.

* * *

It seemed that Dreamcatcher’s management team was also aware of their need for a break, as evidenced by the staff member entering their practice room in the middle of rehearsal. Gahyeon, Siyeon, and Yoohyeon were sprawled across the studio’s floor, and the other members didn’t look like they were holding up much better; only Minji and Yubin seemed unaffected by the onslaught of physical exertion. Bora, by comparison, was leaning on the wall for support, trying to steady her breathing. Seeing their best dancer left thoroughly exhausted had most occupants of the room feeling rather nonplussed, but before they could speak on it, the manager began talking.

“Pardon the interruption,” the angel cleared his throat, and once he had the girls’ attention, the manager continued. “While we appreciate your hard work for this comeback, the company thinks you might be overdoing it a little…” After a bit of an awkward pause, the man glanced around and proceeded with his intended message. “Ah...Ergo, it has been decided that you all take a week off, per the company’s request. That, of course, means we expect you to rest. If you can help it, try to _not_ think about work…” Their manager gave a pointed look at Yubin and Bora, respectively, who had the decency to look sheepish. “Well, that is all. I will prepare the van to take each of you home, if that is agreeable?”

“We can’t stay in the dorms?” Bora asked, her countenance unreadable. Another oddity today, considering the short woman’s tendency to be rather emotive and expressive. The only time Minji had heard her yell all day had been out of frustration, presumably, her loud personality seemingly nowhere to be found. The leader frowned at the thought.

“Ah...well,” the manager let out an awkward chuckle, “I’ve been informed that maintenance is to be performed on the dormitory buildings beginning tomorrow, and we don’t necessarily know when everything will be finished, so this seemed like the best solution…” The angel scratched his head, glancing between the girls. “Does that create a problem for any of you?”

“Ah...no, it’s fine,” Bora replied, quieter this time, breaking eye contact with the older man. More silence followed, and although there was a palpable tension in the air, no one seemed to object any further. The manager clasped his hands together, putting on a faint smile.

“Well, I suppose that’s settled then,” the angel prompted, turning around to leave the practice room. “Please contact me when you’re ready to go, then.”

The weird atmosphere of dread had returned not long after, and Minji couldn’t help but feel rather off-put by it. The look of uncertainty crossing her members’ faces made her uneasy, but there wasn’t much she could do about it, and so the leader decided to leave it be for the second time.

* * *

“Not that I’m complaining,” Gahyeon began as she started packing a few belongings into her travel bag, “but doesn’t this seem kind of...I don’t know, out of left field?”

“Aw, who _cares!_ ” Yoohyeon exclaimed, sprawled over the members’ shared couch. “ _I_ think a break will do us good. It isn’t healthy to be so wound up all the time, especially since we don’t get much time to ourselves in the first place… right, Yubin-ah?”

The aforementioned demon briefly lifted her gaze from the book in her hand, leveling the hybrid with a narrow gaze. “I mean, I _guess_ so. I was kind of looking forward to finish writing lyrics for the album, though…”

“I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time to write when we come back next week, _Ms. Poetry_ ,” Handong commented, zipping up her suitcase and putting it with the haphazard pile of luggage. Yubin chose not to respond, hiding her face in the book to avoid any further confrontation.

Everyone appeared to be more or less packed for the impromptu vacation, and it seemed that the playful banter between the younger members was mostly just to pass the time before their manager would show up to take each of them home. Minji had tuned out their conversations, however, instead noticing Bora was keeping to herself for the most part. If it were any other member, she wouldn’t have been worried, but the younger woman’s mannerisms left the vampire with a bad taste in her mouth, though she wasn’t sure why. The emotions emanating from the dancer were hard to pinpoint exactly, but Minji could detect a loose mix of apprehension and hesitance.

She could even pick out the distinct feeling of fear underneath it all, and that worried Minji more than anything.

“Bora,” the vampire lowered her voice, approaching the hybrid carefully, “is everything alright?”

“Ah-” the shorter woman spun around, momentarily shocked out of her stupor. “Yeah. I’m fine!”

Minji fixed her with a scrutinizing gaze, tilting her head in an obviously doubtful gesture. “Is that so?”

“I-, yeah, everything’s fine,” she replied immediately, but the vampire was not at all convinced by Bora’s words. Moments later, her eyes lit up, an idea coming to mind. "Why do you ask?"

“Bora, can you do something for me?”

“I… of course, what is it?”

“Call me when you get home.”

“Huh?”

“ _I want you to call me when you get home,_ ” Minji repeated herself, with a firmer tone this time. “ _Promise_ me you will, Bora.”

“I mean…” The smaller idol seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if thinking over her options. “...I guess I could,” she murmured.

“You’ll what?”

“I’ll call you when I get home,” Bora finally relented, before adding after a moment of pause, “I… I promise.”

"Good," the vampire smiled at her, and Bora returned the gesture, although she looked a bit confused by the entire exchange.

Minji wanted to say more, but there was a knock on the door, signalling that their manager was finally here to take them home. Bora and Yubin were the first to leave, as it was decided the girls would be delivered in pairs, depending on where they lived. The rest of the girls bid them farewell, with Minji barely managing to wave goodbye before the door shut behind them.

For the third time, the lingering feeling of dread was suffocating Minji, and she still had no idea why.

* * *

It had barely been half an hour since Bora had left, and Minji was already driving herself mad with worry, constantly checking her phone for anything from the younger girl. Yoohyeon, who was leaning up against her side, took notice not long after.

"If I didn't know any better, I would think you had a boyfriend," the hybrid commented with a chuckle. "Who is it, huh?"

"I'm worried...about Bora," the vampire admitted, frowning when her phone showed no new notifications. "I told her to call me when she got home, but maybe she forgot…"

"Bora doesn't just _forget_ something like that, _unnie_ ," Siyeon piped up from her other side, which briefly startled the older woman. "Maybe they got stuck in traffic?"

Upon hearing the werewolf, Minji felt a small wave of embarrassment come over herself. _Why didn't she think of that?_ It was rather unbecoming of her to just assume the worst from the younger idol, especially when there were totally logical possibilities...but somehow, her gut instinct was telling her otherwise.

"If you're _that_ worried, there's no harm in texting her," Yoohyeon suggested, yawning as she lay her head in Minji's lap. The Siyeon-Yoohyeon duo were Dreamcatcher's token good-cop-bad-cop, but Minji had to admit they were decent about giving advice. Occasionally.

"Well, I guess so…" Minji muttered to herself, unlocking her phone to message Bora. _Surely one text couldn't hurt, right?_

Mere seconds later, however, the device buzzed to life, the dancer's caller-id flashing on the screen. The vampire recoiled in surprise, the phone flung from her hands as if she had been burned by it. Minji swore under her breath and launched herself off the couch, swiftly retrieving the device from the floor. Without even bothering to check the screen for potential damage, she hastily accepted the call, bringing the phone up to her ear with trembling hands. "Bora? Hey, are you there?"

" _Unnie, I'm- I'm home,_ " a quivering voice answered, barely above a whisper. Minji recognized it as Bora's, but she could immediately tell something was wrong.

"Hey," Minji tried again, "you don't sound too good… Is everything alright?"

" _I...uh,_ " Bora paused, and her breath hitched as Minji heard a distant crash in the background of the call, along with unintelligible yelling. " _Maybe? Fuck, I can't talk for much longer…_ "

"What's- what's going on? Are you safe?"

" _There's-_ " Bora's voice abruptly stopped, and Minji could barely make out the sound of footsteps, before the hybrid tried again, her voice feeble and barely above a whisper. " _There's so much I want to tell you, Minji, but…_ " Another pause, and the vampire, with all her enhanced senses, strained to hear Bora's words. " _...I can't. I'll, I'll get caught if I do._ " The older woman picked up on Bora's ragged breathing, which only served to worry Minji even more. " _I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Minji-_ "

Bora was interrupted by another crash, this one much louder than the others, a sound that the vampire would liken to a door being broken down. Minji could practically feel Bora's fear through the phone.

"Bora?"

" _Found you, you little bitch,_ " an unfamiliar, distinctly male voice slurred from the receiver. Bora's scream was the last sound Minji heard before the call was cut, the dial tone almost taunting her.

Minji felt the phone drop from her hands and heard it land on the floor with a small thud, but she did nothing to recover it, still reeling from the earlier phone call.

" _Unnie?_ " The vampire vaguely registered Yoohyeon and Siyeon beside her, and briefly met the concerned gaze of Handong, who was perched on the couch. "Is Bora- _unnie_ alright?"

"She's…" Minji was trying to get her own breathing under control, without much success. "She's…"

"She's what?" Siyeon prompted, gently placing both hands on the leader's shoulders, trying to maintain level eye contact. "Take a deep breath and tell us, please."

"Bora…" Minji tried again, swallowing her own rising panic. "Bora's in danger."

"She's _what?_ " Handong sprang up from the couch, eyes widening in disbelief.

"Bora is in danger," Minji repeated, her voice shaking with anger and panic. "Bora's in danger!"

"Ah- hey, _hey_ ," Yoohyeon attempted to placate the older woman, trying to tap into her vampiric side and calm her down. "We should wait for Mr. Kim to come back, and then we can explain the situation to him. I know you're very worried for her - we _all_ are - but we can't dive headfirst into this without some actual planning."

Yoohyeon's timing was quite impeccable, as it turned out, because it was no less than five minutes later that their manager was knocking on their door. Siyeon let Mr. Kim in the room, and he almost immediately picked up on the thick tension in the room.

"If I may so hazard a guess," the angel spoke up, jaw set in a serious expression, "it seems that you girls appear to have something to tell me. Is that assumption correct?"

"I hope you remember where Bora lives," Minji replied with a level tone, "because we have reason to believe she is not safe there. _Please_ believe me when I say that Bora is in danger, Mr. Kim."

"If that is the case," Mr. Kim relented, matching Minji's grim expression with his own, "then I'm afraid we don't have much time to waste."

_Please be okay,_ Minji thought to herself, hoping that if she repeated it like a mantra, it would eventually come true.

_ Please be okay, Bora... _


	2. of chokepoints and chokeholds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> True to Mr. Kim's words, there isn't much time to waste. It's just a matter of how much time they can waste before it's too late.
> 
> Minji really wants Bora to be okay, but deep down she fears for the worst. Will her desire to keep her members safe be enough to protect Bora, or will her worst fears be confirmed?
> 
> Unfortunately, it seems that only time will tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello there! it warms my heart that this story has gotten such a warm welcome right from the first chapter, so i decided to crank out the next segment just in time for christmas. this chapter isn't as long as i had hoped it to be, but i hope you all enjoy regardless! as always, feedback is always deeply appreciated in any capacity~
> 
> have a happy holidays!
> 
> \- luo

Most of Dreamcatcher’s commutes tended to be lively in the company’s van, but the air was suffocating enough that no one managed to say anything. Even Siyeon, their proclaimed car karaoke DJ, didn’t bother to put any music on. Minji herself was stone-faced, a rare occurrence in itself. Then again, the vampire didn’t feel like it was the right atmosphere to be making small-talk, especially with the company’s security personnel packed like sardines in the van with them.

_ (“It’s not that I mind, but is there a reason we’re bringing our bodyguards with us?” Minji had asked their manager back at the company building. “It’s not like we’re super famous, but won’t that raise suspicion?”) _

Minji cast her gaze to the back of the vehicle, where Handong, Gahyeon and Yubin were seated. The latter of the three looked apprehensive, not that the vampire blamed her for feeling that way; receiving news that one of your group members might be in danger mere minutes after getting home would be enough to put anyone on edge, Minji acquiesced.

_ (“I appreciate the thought, Minji-ah, but your safety is our top priority,” Mr. Kim had responded, allowing the body guards to filter into both of the company vans. “If your concerns are to be believed, then we must treat this like a serious threat. We don’t know who - or what - we’re dealing with, after all.”) _

She let out a sigh, returning her gaze to the front of the van, her insides churning with anticipation for whatever confrontation was to come.

* * *

It was difficult to make a vampire feel sick. With Minji, especially, there were _very_ few smells that could make her nauseous.

Once they stepped foot outside the van, however, she could taste blood in the air from inside what she presumed to be Bora’s house. Hybrid blood, to be specific.

The intensity of it was enough to make the vampire tremble where she stood, and she had to fight the bile rising in her throat.

“Look alive,” one of the body guards besides her muttered, and Minji turned to face him. The stocky individual at first appeared very human, but then the vampire could make out his elvish ears and slitted pupils, and his eyes glimmered a striking orange in the low light. None of the bodyguards had nametags, but Minji could vaguely recall that his name was Shinyoung - she couldn’t quite make out his species by scent, which was unusual, given her incredible sense of smell. _Demon, perhaps?_

Looking around, Minji could see varying levels of anger and apprehension on her members’ faces. Siyeon’s especially seemed to barely contain her rage, the werewolf’s hand clenched in a tight fist. Her and Yoohyeon’s eyes were glowing an eerie amber color, courtesy of their lupine heritage. Though Yubin and Handong did not outwardly express their anger, it was much too easy to discern their true emotions for a vampire like Minji.

The relative silence was interrupted by a chillingly familiar scream coming from the Kim residence, and Minji could feel the tension in the air amplify by tenfold. “Mr. Kim was right,” the vampire muttered to herself, “we really _don’t_ have any time to waste.”

The door to Bora’s house was wide open, and the security personnel were quick to enter. There was a shared glance between the remaining six girls, and before their manager could stop them, the idols followed without another word.

* * *

The putrid smell of mixed alcohol permeated throughout the house, and it made Minji want to retch. She couldn’t count the number of empty bottles of cheap liquor and beer littering the living room, but that combined with the overturned furniture and shards of broken glass scattered throughout the vicinity - Minji could form a rough idea of what might have happened.

There was a yelp from upstairs, and the vampire could feel a surge of emotion from her members, and Minji could even pick up the faintest growl from Siyeon’s lips.

Upon reaching the second floor of the house, the mixed scents of Bora’s blood and alcohol were unbearably strong, so much so that it had Minji’s head swimming. She considered herself to be pretty adept in keeping her own emotions in check, but nothing could have prepared Minji for what she saw next.

_ “I didn’t bring you into this world for you to blatantly disrespect me this way!” _

What she presumed to be Bora was trapped underneath a hulking man more than twice her height. The hallway was absolutely trashed, littered with smashed masonry and broken glass. The man was holding something in his hand, and at first Minji thought it to be a broken beer bottle, but much to Minji’s horror, she realized it was actually a bloodied stake.

“You were a _mistake_ , I should’ve known from the beginning,” the man slurred, and Minji could practically taste the alcohol on his breath, holding back the bile building in her throat. “ _Monsters_ don’t _belong_ in this family. You know that, _don’t you?_ ” He tightened his free hand around the smaller woman’s neck, as if wringing out a damp piece of cloth.

The gut-wrenching scream torn from Bora’s throat as he plunged the stake repeatedly into her abdomen was what made Minji snap. Before she knew what was happening, the vampire could feel herself let a wave of paralyzing fear wash over the general vicinity, Minji’s eyes burning a bright crimson.

The sudden outburst of tangible emotion had most occupants of the hallway petrified with terror, with the exception of the bodyguards, along with Yubin and Handong. Fortunately, that gave their security team an opening to pry the intoxicated man off a trembling Bora. Reining in her control, Minji and the other members watched with bated breath as he was dragged down the stairs, thrashing and screaming.

Minji was quick to snap out of her stupor, however, and rushed to kneel beside Bora, the hybrid still quivering with fear. The vampire could feel shards of glass digging into her knees through her jeans, but she honestly couldn’t find it in herself to care. The other members were more careful, however, taking caution to avoid the sharp debris as they gathered around the wounded dancer.

“Hey, baby,” Minji murmured, gently brushing away the hair in Bora’s eyes, “it’s just us. _You’re safe_ , he can’t hurt you anymore.” The vampire tried to project calming emotions into the hybrid’s mind, but the palpable tension in the air kept distracting Minji. “Hey, shhh. _I want you to take a deep breath for me, okay?_ ”

Minji saw her eyes glaze over as the hybrid did what she was told. She really didn’t like manipulating others into doing her bidding with her vampiric powers, lest of all her members, but Bora seemed to be receiving too much stimuli all at once, and Minji desperately wanted to pull her from her shell-shocked state. Her gaze dropped to the crude stake lodged dangerously close to Bora’s chest, and the vampire struggled to keep a lid on her own anger, the sight making her nauseous.

_“Come on, baby,”_ Minji muttered, carefully pulling Bora’s head into her lap, _“come back to us…”_

_Come back to me..._


	3. the sum of her wounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bora's okay, much to Minji's relief. Or, at least, that's what she thinks, but maybe Bora's been hiding something else from the rest of the members...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! i didn't expect to be done with this chapter so soon, but i finished it just in time for new years, so i hope you all enjoy! i'll be on winter break until late january, so here's hoping i can bring you all a few updates next month! as always, feedback is always greatly appreciated~
> 
> have a great day (or year)!
> 
> \- luo

“Are you doing a little better now?”

With her enhanced hearing, Minji could tell that Bora’s breathing had more or less evened out; _well, as even as your breathing could be when you had just suffered a potentially fatal puncture wound from a wooden stake,_ she supposed. One of the medically trained bodyguards had been kind enough to remove the crude implement from Bora’s chest after her assailant had been carried out by the rest of the team. The woman had told her that it wouldn’t take a terribly long time for the hybrid to recover, but upon observing Bora’s condition, Minji was beginning to have doubts.

“I...yeah,” Bora finally answered, wincing as she coughed to clear her throat, a bit of blood trickling out the corner of her mouth. The vampire felt sick seeing the younger girl in pain, but decided against saying anything. “I think I’ll...I’ll be okay.”

“Bora- _unnie_ ,” Yubin prompted gently, crouching beside the supine hybrid, “can you tell us what happened? We were really worried for you.” The demon paused, before adding, “That is, if it’s okay? You seem to be in a lot of pain…”

“Ah- it’s alright,” Bora began, attempting to sit up. The motion was physically taxing, and the hybrid couldn’t hide a pained yelp as it irritated her wounded abdomen. Without another word, Minji and Siyeon helped her readjust herself, ultimately propping the dancer up in Minji’s lap, and the vampire tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach when Bora settled against her front.

“Where do I start…” Bora sighed, attempting to clear her throat. “I...well, I got home, and the house was quiet, so I had assumed he might have gone to the bar,” she glanced around, seeing a wide array of confused expressions. “Ah- _my father_ , I mean. He was waiting in the living room - all I could smell was all the alcohol, I didn’t even realize he was there…” Bora composed herself before beginning again.

“It happened all so fast… one moment I was standing in the hallway, the next I was on the floor underneath him… I had never seen him so _angry_ ,” Bora shivered, then continued to speak. “He caught me off guard, but I managed to distract him with my powers, and I ran upstairs… I locked myself in my room, and that’s when I called Minji,” the hybrid smiled a little, automatically intertwining her fingers with the vampire’s. “But as you could guess, he broke the door down and found me… He dragged me into the hallway by my hair and smashed a beer bottle over my head…” Bora’s smile gave way to a frown, and Minji squeezed her hand gently to reassure the smaller woman. She took a deep breath before continuing. “He left for a bit, so I thought maybe he had forgotten about me… he tends to when gets drunk,” Bora muttered drily, “but he came back with something in his hand. I thought it was another beer bottle, but when he stabbed me with it, I realized it was a stake...and, well, you saw the rest. If you hadn’t come when you did, I would’ve...he would’ve…”

Bora began shaking uncontrollably, tears in her eyes, and that alone was enough to send Minji into what the other members liked to call her “protective mode”. She murmured words of comfort in the hybrid’s ear, gently rocking her back and forth in her lap. Siyeon approached and kneeled in front of the trembling woman, releasing calming pheromones into the air around them. Bora’s vampire nature was much more prominent than her alternative parentage, but being that she still had wolf’s blood, she was under just as much influence as Yoohyeon, who arguably had stronger lupine qualities than most hybrids.

“Hey, sweetie,” Minji cooed, gently carding through Bora’s hair in a calming motion. “He can’t hurt you anymore, I _promise_.”

_ (Minji appeared rather composed, Yoohyeon noted, but it was impossible to miss the suppressed anger clouding her aura. She didn’t have to be part vampire to pick up on that much.) _

“Should we consider moving Bora outside?” Handong suggested gently, getting up from her position to the older girls’ left. “Perhaps then we might be able to give her proper medical attention… I also think some fresh air might do us all some good.”

All the girls seemed to be in agreement, so the remaining members gathered around to help lift Bora off the ground as painlessly as possible. However, as she was about to sling Bora’s arm around her neck, something clicked in Siyeon’s brain.

“Hold on a second,” the werewolf spoke up, observing Bora’s wounds with suspicious eyes. “Your wounds aren’t healing at _all_ … The stake wound I’m willing to believe, but you’re a hybrid, so why are you still _bleeding?_ ” Bora flinched under Siyeon’s intense gaze, and the younger girl noted with much confusion that there seemed to be a flicker of guilt in the hybrid’s expression.

_ Hybrids have an accelerated regeneration factor, more so than normal vampires or werewolves, so the only way Bora could still be injured is- _

“Bora,” Minji started, struggling to keep her voice level, “when was the last time you ate anything?” The pit in the vampire’s stomach continued to grow when the younger girl hesitated to answer.

“Europe,” the hybrid mumbled, seeming to shrink in on herself after offering Minji an answer. She couldn’t bring herself to meet the eyes of the other members, and she could feel the anger radiating off the vampire beside her in waves.

“Gods, _please_ tell me you’re joking,” Minji pleaded, but upon hearing no further reply from the small hybrid, the reality of Bora’s statement began to sink in. The girl in question finally raised her head to meet the members’ gazes, and the vast range of shock and lividness on their faces causes Bora to recoil into herself just a bit more.

“Handong- _unnie_ ,” Yoohyeon began in an oddly composed tone, “could you take Yubin and Gahyeon to look for any blood bags nearby? Please?” The older girl nodded, and without a word, the fox spirit took the younger members out of eyeshot.

For not the first time that night, Yoohyeon _really_ doesn’t envy Minji’s job as leader.

* * *

“We’re back,” Handong’s voice cuts through the tension for the second time that night, and Yoohyeon can’t help but let out a sigh of relief. The hybrid loves Minji to death, but sorting out the members’ emotional issues is really a job better left for the resident vampire of the group. Trying to bring her _unnies_ ’ emotional states down to a manageable level is definitely something Yoohyeon isn’t used to doing. Still, she waits with bated breath until Yubin holds up a handful of blood bags, to which she lets out a second breath, one she didn’t even notice she was holding in. She blinks in surprise as their manager also makes himself known, coming up the stairwell a few paces behind Gahyeon.

“Handong has filled me in on the situation,” Mr. Kim began, briefly gesturing to the foreign idol. “I let the hospital know about the, ah... _occasion_ ,” this time he motioned to the blood bags in Yubin’s hands, “but that’s not why I came up here. Your father has been arrested on several accounts by the authorities as of a few minutes ago, Ms. Kim.” With that, he politely excused himself to rejoin the police officers outside.

The tension in the air seemed to dissipate upon receiving the news, but Minji noted how Bora didn’t seem to have much of a reaction. The vampire didn’t want to focus on that, though, so she retrieved the blood bags from Yubin and gave them to Bora.

The aforementioned hybrid wanted to feed, but there was a weird apprehension churning in her stomach, and the extra pair of eyes on her did little to ease her nervousness. Luckily, the vampire was quick to pick up on Bora’s reluctance, and turned to face the remaining members.

“I’m in no way meaning to be rude, but could you guys go downstairs for a bit?” Minji asked, glancing apologetically at the rest of the girls. “Feeding can be a bit of an, um... _intimate_ experience, and I don’t think Bora is comfortable being watched like that…”

“Ah, o-of course,” Yoohyeon stammered, a bit embarrassed by her own staring. The girls seemed less convinced - Siyeon especially - but she begrudgingly herded everyone out of eyeshot downstairs. But even with the others gone, Bora seemed to still be hesitant about feeding in front of Minji.

“What’s the matter, baby?” The vampire frowned, tilting her head to the side. “You _need_ to eat, Bora... a month is a long time without any blood.”

“He’ll know if I eat, though,” Bora mumbled, still seeming reluctant to even be holding the bags of blood in her hand. “If he finds out… I can’t. _I can’t, unnie_.”

_“Eat, Bora,”_ the vampire commanded, but she could see that the hybrid was actively resisting her this time, which only served to frustrate the taller woman. She snatched away the blood bags from Bora’s hand, who seemed thoroughly baffled by the vampire’s gesture. This time she found herself unable to resist the older woman’s overwhelming willpower, immobilized the moment she held eye contact with Minji’s entrancing crimson gaze.

“If you’re not going to _eat_ ,” the vampire growled, stepping closer until Bora could feel Minji’s breath on her own lips. 

_ “I suppose have no choice but to do it myself, then.” _

* * *

When Minji and Bora rejoined the rest of the members outside, the latter felt oddly embarrassed to look the other girls in the eye. Even if they hadn’t been watching the exchange, there was no doubt they had heard it. Siyeon and Yoohyeon especially avoided making eye contact with either girl, and the tension in the air was nearly tangible.

Minji, on the other hand, seemed hardly affected by the girls’ pointed looks, instead choosing to lead the remaining six outside, making sure that she was still supporting most of Bora’s weight. The blood had helped to heal Bora of her exterior wounds, but she was still in pain, and walking by herself was still out of the question, so Minji had taken it upon herself to be Bora's human (vampire?) crutch.

“By the way,” Minji began, wrapping an arm around the hybrid’s waist in a protective manner, “have you given any thought to who you might want to stay with?”

“What do you mean?” Bora frowned at the question, not quite comprehending what the vampire meant.

“Well, after... _this_ ,” the taller girl paused, gesturing to the intoxicated man struggling against a handful of police officers, “I highly doubt you would want to stay here. And the dorms are out of the question… so what are you going to do?”

“Well, when you put it like _that_ …” The hybrid trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words, her frown deepening. “I don’t really know, I didn’t really think that far.”

“You could come stay with me,” Yoohyeon piped up from behind. Siyeon and Yubin nodded in agreement, but declined to say anything.

“Actually, I’m sure any of us would take you in,” Handong stated, which elicited another round of agreement, from everyone this time. “So, it’s really your choice. If you have a preference, that is.”

“Ah…” Bora paused, glancing around at the other girls for a long moment, seeming to debate her options. “If that’s the case… since we’re both hybrids, I think I’ll stay with Yoohyeon.” The dancer glanced back at the taller woman for confirmation, before hastily adding, “that is, if you don’t mind, of course…”

“Of course!” Yoohyeon was quick to respond, beaming at the older woman with a goofy smile, and it wasn’t long before Bora was returning the gesture. Yoohyeon’s puppy-like energy was difficult to reject at any given time, the other hybrid knew all too well.

“Well, if that’s decided, then we should probably gather your belongings and inform Mr. Kim of our decision,” Gahyeon interjected, glancing between her _unnies_ with a pointed glance. “No offense, but you probably don’t want to be here any longer than you want to…”

“Ah...yeah, you’re right,” Bora nodded. “I didn’t unpack anything, so it shouldn’t be _too_ difficult to just put everything back in the van, I guess.”

* * *

Bora, evidently, did not anticipate that transferring her belongings from her house to the van would be made difficult by the fact that she couldn’t even walk by herself, due to her injuries. She begrudgingly let Yoohyeon and Gahyeon move her luggage, leaning on Minji for support. Their manager had sent the bulk of their security personnel home, being that the threat had more or less been taken over by the police. A few of the guards remained in the general vicinity, but none were memorable enough for Minji to remember, not that it really mattered too much to her.

“You must be exhausted,” the vampire noted after observing Bora’s decidedly sluggish behavior. “We should hurry and get going.” Bora's lack of a response only served to prove Minji's point, evidently.  


As they passed by several patrol cars parked haphazardly on the street, Minji eventually located their company van and started leading the younger girl towards it. However, the street where Bora’s house was located on was rather narrow, so they had no choice but to pass by the police officers restraining her father. The hybrid momentarily paused, making eye contact with the intoxicated man.

That was a mistake, as the hulking man sprang free from his captors’ clutches, letting loose a snarl as he shifted mid-lunge. Teeth gnashing dangerously close to Bora’s neck, the werewolf knocked her to the ground with pitiful ease.

Before Minji could interfere, there was a familiar growl as an enraged Siyeon rammed his side at full force, the younger werewolf standing in a protective stance before Minji and Bora. The previously flustered police officers took control of the situation in lieu of the younger werewolf’s retaliation, making quick work of subduing Bora’s father.

“Hey,” Minji murmured, helping the hybrid back to her feet, “are you alright?”

“I will be,” Bora responded, wincing a bit as the vampire brushed a sore spot on her shoulder. “Let’s just… let’s just get to the van first.”

“Can do,” Minji let out a soft chuckle, helping Bora into the back seat, where Yoohyeon was dozing off. She cast one more look behind her, at the now abandoned house, and at the agitated man that Bora had called her father.

Siyeon wasn’t far behind, slipping past the vampire and claiming a seat in the row behind Yoohyeon and Bora. Minji did a mental head count of all the girls, before shutting the door and joining her roommate in the very back.

_ It should be a weight off my shoulders now that I know Bora is _ _safe_ , Minji thought to herself with a frown.  


_ So why do I feel so guilty? _


	4. the first supper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bora finds a third family in Yoohyeon's, and she couldn't be more grateful. Found family tends to be more important than blood, after all. 
> 
> While her body reassures her that she's out of the woods, however, it doesn't seem like her brain agrees...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! i'm back with another chapter, just in time for yoohyeon's birthday! i hope dreamcatcher's puppy has a wonderful day and knows that she's widely loved by insomnia around the world~
> 
> as always, any sort of feedback is greatly appreciated! i love reading your comments, and i hope you guys stick with me for the ride, i have lots and lots prepared for everyone~
> 
> \- luo

“Rise and shine, _unnie_ , we’re here!”

Bora awoke with a start, whipping her head around as she tried to rub the exhaustion from her eyelids. A quick glance around the vicinity told her that they were still in the company van, though much to her confusion, only Yoohyeon, Minji, and Siyeon were the remaining occupants, sans the manager behind the wheel. As if reading her mind, the younger hybrid spoke up again.

“Siyeon- _unnie_ and Minji- _unnie_ are also staying over, for tonight at least.” Seeing Bora’s frown, Yoohyeon hastily added, “I mean, if that’s okay with you, of course! I just think they might be a bit worried about you, is all…”

“Ah-” Bora paused, a surprised look flashing across her countenance, “that isn’t a problem, I was just, um…” The hybrid glanced at the vampire and werewolf stirring behind her briefly, “... _surprised_.”

Yoohyeon fixed her with a dubious look, but chose to say nothing more, leaning over to wake up the remaining occupants before exiting the vehicle.

_All things considered, Bora hasn’t changed much at all,_ Yoohyeon mused to herself.

_ (That’s a relief, at least.) _

* * *

“Yoohyeon, sweetie, you’re home!”

The hybrid barely had any time to react before she had the air squeezed from her lungs. From the porch steps, Bora watched in awe as an older woman _(Yoohyeon’s mother, she presumed - the resemblance was uncanny, after all)_ scooped the younger hybrid in a tight embrace.

“ _Eomma!_ ” Yoohyeon whined, the lanky hybrid wriggling in the taller woman’s iron grip, “Put me down! I didn’t get a vacation just so you could break my ribs!” The woman relented, setting the lanky girl back on the porch. _(Yoohyeon, ever the drama queen, made an exaggerated display of gasping for air, Bora noted with a slight roll of her eyes.)_ It wasn’t long before Yoohyeon’s mother noticed the extra guests clustered on the porch steps, and Bora suddenly felt the need to cower behind Siyeon and Minji under the older woman’s curious gaze.

“Oh, I didn’t know you were bringing the girls by,” Mrs. Kim commented, “what’s the occasion?”

“Ah, well…” Yoohyeon stalled, glancing back at the older girls briefly, “Something happened with Bora- _unnie_ , and she can’t stay with her family for break, so I thought she could stay with us for the week… and, um, Minji- _unnie_ and Siyeon- _unnie_ are only staying the night. Something about…” The hybrid racked her brain for an answer, glancing back at the vampire for help.

_It’s too late to drive home,_ the older idol mouthed to her, trying to be inconspicuous about it, and she almost felt a vein pop in her forehead upon seeing Yoohyeon’s dumbfounded expression.

“Uh…” Yoohyeon squinted at her, as if trying to decipher whatever Minji was desperately wanting her to say. “They wanted to...play video games with me!” Yoohyeon exclaimed. “Yes. Totally.” 

The hybrid even nodded to herself, confident that was what the vampire was trying to communicate to her.

Minji resisted the urge to facepalm.

“Alright then…” Mrs. Kim replied slowly, not seeming entirely convinced, but stepping aside to let the four girls indoors. “Dinner will be ready within the hour, so don’t, uh…” The older woman glanced between the younger girls awkwardly, “...play too much, um... _Overlook?_ ”

_Kim Yoohyeon, I love you to the moon and back,_ Minji inwardly groaned as she entered the Kim residence, _but you’re such a fucking dumbass._

* * *

“I wasn’t sure if we had any dietary restrictions at the table today, so I just made a bit of everything… I hope that’s alright with everyone,” Yoohyeon’s mother explained sheepishly.

“Thank you very much, Mrs. Kim,” Minji responded, nodding courteously with a smile. “We’re all quite hungry, so I’m sure it will be fine.”

The dinner table was rather full at the Kim residence, being that there were three extra guests eating with them, but Yoohyeon couldn’t help but feel like something was off. She frowned as she glanced around the table.

“ _Eomma,_ ” the hybrid spoke between bites of _bulgogi_ , “where’s Yunsang-ah?”

“He’s staying over at a friend’s house,” Mrs. Kim replied after swallowing some of her own food. “Well, not unlike your friends here, I suppose,” the older woman mused with a little smile. “He should be back tomorrow, though, if you want to see him.” Upon seeing her daughter make a face, Mrs. Kim couldn’t help a little bit of laughter.

Bora observed both her and who she presumed to be Yoohyeon’s father curiously. He was obviously a vampire, judging from his pale skin and mahogany-tinted irises. With his sunken cheeks and narrow gaze, the hybrid couldn’t help but feel intimidated. The eldest Kims at the table were like polar opposites, and Bora could only wonder how they became a couple.

The aforementioned man leaned over the table on her left, and Bora could feel her nervousness escalate by tenfold. 

_ Yoohyeon’s mom likes me, but what if her dad objects to me being here? _

“Hey, kid,” He murmured with a serious look, the intensity of his gaze making Bora wish the floor would just swallow her up already. “ _Yes, I’m talking to you._ ”

_ Maybe if I’m lucky, he’ll just kick me out and nothing else will happen... _

“Blink twice if Yoohyeonie’s holding you hostage.”

_ Wait, what? _

“H-huh?” Bora stammered, caught off-guard by his statement.

“If her puppy eyes put you up to this, we completely understand,” Mr. Kim spoke with a straight face, though he eventually couldn’t hide his coy smile. “It happens to _everyone_ , I promise.”

“Excuse you, Bora- _unnie_ is a big girl, she can make her own decisions!” Yoohyeon huffed, mouth still full of food. “Besides, I’ll have you know that she’s staying here out of the kindness of her own heart.”

“There’s no harm in making sure, Yoohyeon!” Mr. Kim sputtered, though Bora could see that his indignance was obviously faked. “Don’t give me that pout! I _refuse_ to be added to the list of puppy-face casualties, young lady.”

“Ah...Yoohyeon, dear, you’re pouting again,” Mrs. Kim gently reminded her daughter.

The lanky hybrid was visibly sulking now, the whole table erupting in laughter not long after.

To her surprise, even Bora found herself joining in, and it wasn’t long until Yoohyeon’s infamous pout gave way to a wide grin.

_ I could get used to this. _

* * *

Yoohyeon’s room at home, unsurprisingly, looked a lot like their shared dorm room, minus all of Bora’s Marvel posters. Instead, the younger girl had all of Dreamcatcher’s promotional posters, along with a multitude of Sunmi and Harry Styles posters plastered about the room. Despite Yoohyeon’s tendency to be a total klutz, her living space was shockingly clean. There were maybe a few controllers and books strewn across the floor, but Bora still couldn’t help but be amazed at the apparent cleanliness.

“I’ll be honest,” Siyeon started, glancing around the room, “I was not expecting you to be this... _neat_.”

“I don’t know whether or not I should feel offended by that statement,” Yoohyeon grumbled, crouching down to pick up the miscellaneous items scattered on the carpet. After putting them away, the hybrid glanced around the room, as if looking for something.

“ _A-ha!_ ” The taller girl exclaimed, pulling out a stack of board and card games from one of her shelves. “Now the real fun can start, _unnies_.”

“What, so that you can beat our asses in…” Minji squinted at the boxes Yoohyeon was holding, “... _yacht-sea?_ ”

“ _It’s Yahtzee,_ ” Yoohyeon corrected in English with a giggle, “It’s easy, I promise. I’ll even _teach_ you how to play! If you don’t like it, we can play a different game, okay?”

“If you say so,” Siyeon grumbled. “No cheating, _Ms. Genius_.”

“Why, I would _never!_ ”

Bora couldn’t help the grin growing on her face, listening to the other girls bicker. Subconsciously, her hand found Minji’s. She squeezed it gently, glancing back at the older girl, who returned an equally-friendly smile.

_Somehow,_ Bora thought, returning her attention to the younger girls adjacent to them, _I feel like everything will be okay._

* * *

Siyeon wakes to the sound of bloodcurdling screaming, and resists the urge to cover her sensitive ears. Blinking the weariness from her eyes, the werewolf asserts that it still must be night-time; the lack of light coming from Yoohyeon’s window is telling enough in itself.

A quick look around the room (courtesy of her inherited night vision) also tells her that she isn’t the only one awake. The glow of Minji’s crimson eyes is eerie in the relative darkness, and she can make out Yoohyeon's form hunched over the thrashing body of Bora.

The younger girl is gently shaking the other hybrid, trying to wake her up from her fitful slumber, whispering sweet nothings and releasing comforting pheromones into the air around them, doing her best to bring Bora out of her paranoid frenzy.

_She must be having a nightmare,_ Siyeon thought, her stomach dropping at the thought. _It isn’t hard to imagine what she must be dreaming about…_

Bora wakes with a start, nearly throwing Yoohyeon off her in the process. The younger hybrid seemed prepared for the possibility, however, narrowly avoiding Bora’s physical counter-attack. Nightmares weren’t uncommon for the dancer in the slightest, but it wasn’t usually this bad. If Bora’s ragged breathing and shuddering body were any indicator, yesterday’s encounter was affecting her much more than she’d previously let on. It isn’t long until tears start to roll down Bora’s face, the older girl (unsuccessfully) trying to swallow her own sobbing. “ _Unnie_ , it’s okay. It’s just a dream, you’re safe now…”

Yoohyeon lifts her head to see Minji and Siyeon staring right back at her, though she’s quick to sense a fourth presence in the doorway. Despite her slightly impaired eyesight, she can vaguely make out her mother’s concerned features.

“Minji- _unnie_ , Siyeon- _unnie_ ,” Yoohyeon murmured, “do you think you could stay with Bora- _unnie_ for a little bit?” She glanced back down to the miserable hybrid hunched over herself, and immediately felt a pang in her heart for the older woman. “I don’t want to leave her alone, but I need to speak with my mother about something…”

“Of course,” Siyeon replied in a sober voice, moving closer to sit beside Bora, Minji following close behind as she gently eased the hybrid’s head in her lap.

“Shh, baby, it’s just me and Siyeon,” the vampire cooed, gently brushing the hair out of Bora’s teary eyes, “I promise you’re safe, he can’t hurt you anymore…”

Satisfied that Bora would be in good hands for the time being, Yoohyeon stood up from beside the futon and joined her mother out in the hallway. “Um...good morning…” The hybrid began awkwardly, trying to diffuse the tension in the air, but upon seeing her mother’s concerned expression, she let out a long sigh.

“When you said something happened with Bora’s family, I didn’t think you meant anything serious,” Mrs. Kim commented in a heavy voice, “does this have anything to do with that, by any chance?” 

Yoohyeon debated telling her the truth, but one look at her mother’s expression had the hybrid’s resolve crumbling in mere seconds. “Yeah,” she admitted with a heavy sigh. “Earlier, before we came home, we found Bora in her house. Her father was... _beating_ her,” Yoohyeon struggled to maintain a level voice, needing to pause before continuing. “He was stabbing her with a stake, _eomma_. If we hadn’t gotten there in time, he would’ve… he would’ve _killed_ her…” 

This time, she didn’t try to fight her mother’s tight embrace. “He was saying such awful things,” the hybrid mumbled, trying to hold back her own tears. “I don’t know how someone could treat their child like that… He was arrested not long after we found her. Even then, I don’t think Bora- _unnie_ would have wanted to stay in that house by herself...so I offered to let her stay with us…”

“I think you did the right thing, Yoohyeon-ah,” Mrs. Kim eventually replied, gently rubbing her daughter’s back in soothing motions.

The hybrid waited for several moments before speaking again. “Do you think she could stay with us?” Yoohyeon carefully extricated herself from her mother’s arms, “for now, I mean. At least for the break, since she doesn’t have anywhere else to go…”

“Of course,” Mrs. Kim responded in a gentle voice. “Bora’s always welcome here, and so are the other girls. _Please_ always remember that, Yoohyeon.”

This time, it was the lanky hybrid that enveloped her mother in a tight hug. “Thank you, _eomma!_ ” Yoohyeon’s bright smile was contagious, so much so that Mrs. Kim was quick to return the gesture.

_I’m so lucky to have a family like this,_ Yoohyeon thought to herself, holding on just a bit tighter to her mother. 

_So, so lucky..._

* * *

Breakfast was a relatively normal affair at the Kim’s table, and it was very easy to see that Yoohyeon got her early-riser nature from her mother. Mrs. Kim, Siyeon and Yoohyeon were rather lively eating the _gimbap_ that Yoohyeon's mother had prepared for all of them.

In comparison, the other end of the table was as different as night and day. Minji, Bora, and Mr. Kim looked like death warmed up, respectively. _(Yoohyeon would equate them to the demigod offspring of Hades in Rick Riordan’s books - though, she supposed the vampire blood wasn’t too far off from making them children of death, in retrospect.)_

Minji could barely focus on the tailend of Yoohyeon and Siyeon’s conversation _(something about which generation of Pokemon reigned supreme, as far as the vampire understood anyhow)_ before she was startled out of her stupor by the buzz of her phone in her jeans pocket. The idol fumbled with the device, squinting at the caller-id before just deciding to accept the call.

“Hello?” She mumbled into the receiver, stifling a yawn. Her exhaustion would be very apparent, though it tended to be at any given time before 10am.

_“Ms. Kim, good morning,”_ the voice of their manager filtered through the receiver. Minji immediately straightened up, suddenly hyperaware of her surroundings.

“Ah- good morning,” she replied in a professional tone, noting how any prior conversation at the table had died out, all five pairs of eyes suddenly focused on her. “Has something come up?”

Minji’s face cycled through a variety of expressions as she listened to the manager on the other line, finally settling on a deep-set frown. Whatever it was, it didn’t seem to bode well, and the other girls were painfully curious about the call.

“I see,” the vampire responded after several moments of silence on her end. “I’ll let them know, then. Have a good day.” With that, she ended the phone call, setting down the device and letting out a heavy sigh.

“That can’t be good,” Siyeon spoke up, trying to alleviate some of the tension in the room. “What was _that_ about?” The werewolf gave an exaggerated gasp. "Did your mother arrange for you to marry a _guy?"_  


The vampire couldn't help but snort incredulously at Siyeon's preposterous suggestion. It got similar reactions from Yoohyeon and Bora, the latter of which trying to stifle her laughter.

“I got a call from our manager,” Minji replied, pressing her lips into a thin line before taking a deep breath and continuing. “The police station wants all of us to go in and provide statements regarding last night’s events.” The mood at the table suddenly dropped again.  


“Oh…” Bora murmured, dropping her gaze to her lap.

“ _Seriously?_ ” Yoohyeon asks incredulously, “they already took our statements at the scene! It’s not like our stories are going to miraculously have _new_ information...”

“Yes, but they also have Bora’s father in custody now,” Siyeon reminded her begrudgingly, “it’s only natural that they're going to want a more in-depth account from the eye-witnesses in a controlled environment.”

Minji glanced at the other girls, brow furrowing upon observing Bora’s body language.  The faraway look in the hybrid's eyes was never a good sign, either.

_I hope the trauma won’t be too fresh for Bora to recount in a professional setting,_ she thought with a frown, _but something tells me that won’t be the case..._


	5. trouble comes in threes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bora needs something to take her mind off the past few days; Siyeon, Yoohyeon, and Minji are all too happy to oblige. However, you can't have all the good without the bad...or can you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! back for another chapter, this time i finished just in time for dc's third anniversary~ i can't believe these seven girls have had my heart for three years already, and i'm certain there will be many more to come!
> 
> as always, your feedback keeps me writing and it always makes my day to read your comments! have a wonderful day, wherever you are~
> 
> \- luo

“How did it go?”

Siyeon’s attention was grabbed by Minji’s question, lifting her head just in time to catch Bora walking towards them from the police station. She and Yoohyeon remained quiet, observing her as they waited for an answer.

As the hybrid drew closer, Siyeon took in her appearance curiously. Bora was dressed casually, wearing tight black jeans and an oversized lavender sweater that too easily hid the older woman’s curves. Bora’s wavy locks of dark hair and minimal makeup gave her a look of very natural beauty, and Siyeon would be lying if she said she didn’t look absolutely breathtaking like this.

“I guess it was okay,” Bora murmured in response, letting out a little sigh. “Well, not really. Actually, it was awful. One of the officers kept asking me about m-my...my _father_ ,” she took a deep breath, trying to compose herself before speaking again. “I had repressed _years_ of bad memories for a reason, but they didn’t think twice about forcing me to relive them,” Bora remarked bitterly, her voice thick with emotion. “I think I almost cried, but they just kept pestering me with questions… I just wish one of you could’ve been there with me…” The short idol admitted, her dejected gaze directed near the ground. It wasn’t hard to see that Bora was fighting back tears, even now.

Siyeon can feel her heart breaking into tiny pieces at Bora’s words, and the utter lack of control over her own emotion scares her.

_ (Siyeon would do anything if it meant Bora never having to be hurt again, even so far as hurting others at Bora’s behest - that frightens her even more, not that Siyeon would admit it in the first place.) _

“But… it’s over, right?” Yoohyeon inquired, tilting her head to the side like a puppy might. “You won’t have to deal with that... _man_ ever again, will you?”

“Maybe,” Bora sighed, running a hand through her hair nervously. “He has a court date, so I may be asked to…” Bora paused, seeming to gather her composure before continuing. “...I may be asked to testify against him.”

The atmosphere between the four of them seemed to drop almost immediately following Bora’s statement. The silence was suffocating and Siyeon was racking her brain for anything to change the topic, until an idea popped in her head.

“Hey,” the werewolf began, paying no mind to how Minji and Yoohyeon fixed her with an intent look, deciding to just focus on the older hybrid in front of her. “Never mind that. It’s out of our control now, what’s done is done.” Siyeon gave her a smile, slinging an arm around the shorter idol. “You must be hungry. How does lunch sound?”

“I… really, it’s okay, I’m not that hungry!” Bora insisted, only to be interrupted by her stomach growling. She felt her face flush scarlet in sheer embarrassment, which only worsened when Siyeon and Yoohyeon broke out into laughter.

Bora furrowed her brow, glancing over at Yoohyeon and Minji with a dubious gaze. “Are you two okay with this?”

“Sure,” Minji shrugged, “a fresh change of scenery wouldn’t hurt either.” Yoohyeon nodded in agreement, though something told Bora that the younger hybrid was more excited about the food part of the deal. _Not surprising, coming from Yoohyeon,_ she supposed.

Siyeon flashed her another bright smile. “Then it’s settled! We’ll go to _Baetjang_ , then. My treat.”

“Wait- _what?!_ ” Bora exclaimed, looking incredulously at the younger werewolf. “No, that’s expensive! Are you _crazy?_ ”

“What part of ‘my treat’ don’t you understand?” Siyeon gave her a pointed look. “That’s the _point._ ”

“You can pass this up, Bora- _unnie_ , but I won’t!” Yoohyeon declared, looking like she was about to start drooling at any moment. “That meat isn’t going to eat itself, after all!”

Bora gave Minji a pleading look, but the vampire only shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly in response. “I’m not gonna complain about free food,” the older idol explained in a frustratingly blasé tone of voice.

  
  


“Well, are you coming or not?” Siyeon asked with a smirk.

Bora narrowed her crimson eyes at the taller woman, huffing as she stalked after the trio. “Stupid wolf,” she muttered under her breath.

* * *

“ _Dumb Singnie,_ ” Bora grumbled to herself in between bites of meat. If the younger werewolf heard her, she didn’t acknowledge it.

_Baetjang_ was surprisingly busy today, not that any of the girls minded; the lively atmosphere did wonders in lifting their moods. It wasn’t quiet, by any means, but somehow, they didn’t mind the noise.

_Baetjang_ had a very homey, almost diner-like feel to it, and maybe that was why Bora liked it so much. They didn’t go very often due to the distance and price (30,000 won minimum wasn’t exactly a cheap meal for a rookie idol), but Bora would occasionally drag the other members along for celebratory dinners. It wasn’t a particularly large restaurant, and some people would be quick to label it as cramped or claustrophobic, but Bora thought it was a cozy space. The staff were nice people, the restaurant had a simple interior aesthetic, and the food was delicious beyond words - there wasn’t much more that Bora could ask for, honestly.

_ (Well, actually, she could ask for cheaper pricing on the menu, but you can’t always get what you want, Bora reasons.) _

Siyeon put some more slabs of meat on the grill, letting them sear for a few minutes before distributing the cuts among the four of them - she couldn’t help but laugh at Yoohyeon’s obviously mouth-watering expression, not that she could blame the hybrid; the beef smelled heavenly, after all. Minji and Bora didn’t dig in to the second serving immediately, but Yoohyeon was all too eager to wolf down the freshly-cooked meat. Naturally, Siyeon wasn’t too far behind the younger hybrid, and the beef was gone from her plate within seconds. The bliss on her face from the meat’s flavor was too comical to not giggle at, despite Bora’s previous moodiness.

“It’s been so long since we’ve been able to go out like this,” Minji remarked after finishing her own plate of beef, “I really missed it.”

Siyeon nodded in agreement. “It’s nice, not having to worry about work either.” After taking a sip of her drink, she continued speaking. “Though, I guess that’s the entire point of this vacation, isn’t it?”

“Well, I _guess_ ,” Yoohyeon shrugged, leaning back in her chair. “But just because we’re supposed to rest doesn’t mean we can’t have fun!”

“Words of wisdom from Kim Yoohyeon,” Siyeon nodded sagely, seemingly deep in thought. “Well, now that we have eaten a fulfilling meal, I think some fun is in order! All in agreement, say ‘aye’!”

“Aye!” Yoohyeon cheered almost immediately, followed by Minji, the vampire looking like she was trying to stifle her own laughter at Siyeon and Yoohyeon’s antics.

“..aye…?” Bora eventually responded after the trio’s attention was directed towards her.

“Your confidence is very sexy, Kim Bora,” Siyeon remarked drily, before making her way towards the register to pay for their meal. Bora scowled at the werewolf, but ultimately gave up on trying to change Siyeon’s mind.

“I have never in my life seen you so clapped about getting free food,” Yoohyeon told her with a straight face. “Weird flex, but okay.”

“I- what?”

“For real though, that _bulgogi_ slapped. My wig is snatched.”

“Please stop using Stan Twitter language, Yoohyeon.”

* * *

Really, Bora wanted to feel bad that they had basically bled Siyeon’s bank account dry, but she couldn’t deny that she’d had a lot of fun today. Hours exploring the city had flown by without her noticing, and before she knew it, it was already late afternoon.

Yoohyeon had been quick to drag the significantly less enthused idols to the arcade (in which the younger hybrid won Minji a stuffed bat with the tickets she saved up, not that the older idol had the heart to refuse Yoohyeon’s puppy eyes in the first place), and when Siyeon had spotted a bowling alley down the street, the other three were powerless to resist the werewolf’s excitement. She’d had no trouble showing up the trio with her bowling prowess, though it wasn’t like Bora minded - Siyeon’s enthusiasm was infectious, and she couldn’t stop herself from hugging the younger girl when Bora finally got her first strike. Still, Siyeon came out on top by the end, with Yoohyeon and Bora almost tying for last place - the older hybrid was just glad she didn’t do as bad as the youngest idol, who was being consoled by Minji on the way out of the establishment.

For some reason, seeing the vampire with her arms wrapped around the sulking hybrid left Bora with a weird tightness in her throat, but she elected to ignore it, instead choosing to cling to Siyeon’s side as they walked down the street.

_ (Siyeon didn’t seem to mind, even going so far as to pull Bora closer towards her, and the hybrid could feel warmth blossoming in her chest at the gesture. If there was anyone that could make her heart melt with one action, it would undoubtedly be Lee Siyeon.) _

“Well, the night’s still young,” the werewolf in question declared, involuntarily tightening her grip on Bora’s waist, “so how do drinks sound?”

“I thought you were supposed to taste drinks, not hear them,” Yoohyeon stated in a baffled tone, squinting at Siyeon.

“Drinks sound _lovely_ ,” Minji answered almost immediately, and Bora could only imagine how badly the vampire was struggling not to pop a vein at Yoohyeon’s dimwitted remark.

At the end of the street was a well-lit pub, its signage hard to read up-close due to the neon glare. Still, it didn’t look terribly crowded, and judging from the menu posted outside, the fare was reasonably priced. “In we go, then,” Siyeon shrugged, opening the door for the trio behind her. “How about you and Minji grab us a table, and Yoo and I will get drinks?”

Though the bar seemed pretty occupied, there were several vacant tables around the dining room. “Sure, that shouldn’t be too difficult,” Bora replied with a shrug, reluctantly detaching herself from the taller idol, watching as she and Yoohyeon got in line to order.

“A booth should be fine, right?” Minji asked, coming up on her left. Taking Bora’s silence for an answer, she continued speaking. “Let’s sit here, then.”

“Ah… sure,” Bora murmured, moving to sit down, watching Minji as she set her belongings down on the opposite end of the booth.

The older idol looked like she was about to sit down, but changed her mind, instead hovering by the edge of the table, which only served to further confuse the hybrid. “I’m going to go use the bathroom,” Minji explained with an apologetic expression, “will you be okay with waiting here?”

“Of course,” Bora responded with a smile, “just don’t take too long, I don’t want people thinking I like to sit in booths by myself.” Her words elicited a giggle from the vampire, who departed from the table not long after.

_I’m sure Siyeon and Yoohyeon will be back soon,_ Bora thought to herself, _there aren’t too many people here, after all…_

Ultimately, she decided to pass the time on her phone, opening Twitter and scrolling through her feed. A few minutes had passed, and she heard footfalls next to the booth, she had put away her phone and looked up, expecting one of her members. Instead, Bora was met with the hungry eyes of three strangers, seeming to size up the smaller woman. Their gaze was more than enough to make her skin crawl with discomfort.

“Hey there,” one of the werewolves spoke with a sleazy grin, and she could smell the alcohol on his breath. It reminded her of her father. “What’s a pretty girl like you doing all on your lonesome?”

“Actually, I came with my friends…” Bora muttered, avoiding eye contact with the scruffy looking man. _What is taking them so long?_

“Bullshit,” the strongest-built of the trio cornering her scoffs, and the hybrid can internally feel her panic level rise with each passing moment. “You’re just trying to play hard-to-get, aren’t you?” There’s confidence oozing from his voice, and Bora wants to wipe that smirk right off his face. Before she can respond, however, his next words make her blood turn to ice.

“ _Omega,_ right? Your heat’s coming up soon, I can smell it. I hear mutts are total _freaks_ in bed… Why don’t you come with us? We’ll show you a good time, I promise.”

A crippling wave of dread washes over the surrounding area, and the familiarity of the feeling is too difficult for the trembling hybrid to pinpoint.

_ This feels like deja vu, but why…? _

“I’ll show you a _good time_ if you don’t get the fuck away from her right this instant, fuckface,” Minji snarled from behind the trio, her eyes burning an intense shade crimson. The smaller two males cowered under her stare, but the ringleader didn’t appear to be standing down, though it was obvious that the vampire’s emotional manipulation was affecting him too.

“O-oh, yeah?” He growled, trying to make himself look more threatening, to no avail. “What are _you_ gonna do?”

“ _Don’t make me repeat myself, Mr. Alpha,_ ” Minji simpered, her slitted eyes starting to glow a more vibrant hue of red. Though the man was nearly a whole head taller than her, she had no trouble exerting her own willpower over his. The vampire grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him downwards so that their eyes were level with each other. The werewolf tried to seem unbothered, but Minji could see him sweating bullets, and immediately knew that she had won the battle for dominance.

“Must be _embarrassing_ , to be bested by a _vampire_ ,” Minji sneered with a belittling smirk, before roughly throwing him aside, not bothering to watch as he stumbled off-balance. “Get out of my sight. If I ever see you again, you won’t be as lucky.”

Bora looked on in awe as the trio of wolves scurried out of the establishment, before she felt Minji’s gaze on her.

“Hey, are you okay?” The vampire asks, her voice thick with concern, but the intensity in Minji’s eyes has yet to diminish, and Bora is speechless for several moments before she can respond to the older idol. “ _Bora?_ ”

_Protective Minji sure is something else,_ Bora thought to herself, _I really shouldn’t, but..._

“I-...sorry,” the hybrid blinks, swallowing the lump in her suddenly-dry throat before attempting to speak again. “Yes, I’m fine. Um… thank you for stepping in…”

_ I really can’t help but fall for her… _

“Don’t worry about it, I’m sorry I wasn’t back sooner.” Minji apologized, enveloping the shorter woman in a tight embrace. She didn’t care if anyone was watching; Bora’s well-being was infinitesimally more important to her.

_ Does this mean that Kim Minji has my heart…? _

After a few moments, Bora felt herself wrap her arms around Minji’s toned back, surrendering herself to the vampire’s warm embrace.

_I think I’m catching feelings,_ Bora thought with a frown, _and yet..._

_ What is this dread I’m feeling? _


End file.
